M Modi to inaugurate the India's longest bridge, people of Sadiya recalling the man behind the dream project

By Our Correspondent, 18/05/2017, Guwahati

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the India's longest bridge connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on May 26 next, which is situated around 100 kms from the McMahon line separating India and China. PM modi to kick start the celebration of three years completion of the NDA government in office from Assam. Built on the Brahmaputra river and known as the Dhola-Sadiya bridge, it will help in reducing travel time for around civilians of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh by over 4 hours. According to the reports, the 9.15 km long bridge is capacity of carrying the weight of a 60 tonne battle tank and will help development in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

While the people of of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to witness the inaugurating the bridge, many people have now remembered the persons who are behind the dream project.To recall the time, two persons had firstly proposed the project to construct a bridge on the Brahmaputra river for better connectivity between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.Former Assam minister and present BJP leader Jagdish Bhuyan, who representing the Sadiya assembly constituency had firstly proposed the project."It is my dream project. I am so happy that this project is completed after 14 years.

The people of Sadiya in Assam side and Anini in Arunachal Pradesh had faced lots of problems as they had to a 4 hour ferry ride to cross the Brahmaputra river. To improve the connectivity we have must to need a bridge and on May 29, 2003 I and former MP Dr Arun Kumar Sarma had submitted a memorandum to then Union minister of SSI and DONER CP Thakur for construction a bridge at Sadiya over Brahmaputra. We had also discussed with then Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Mukut Mithi regarding it and Mithi had sent a letter to the Prime Minister on June 24, 2003. In the same year, we had submitted another memorandum to then Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Maj Gen. BC Khanduri on July 7," Jagdish Bhuyan said.

"By taking the initiative to construct a new bridge over Brahmaputra river to connect Sadiya, we had submitted another memorandum to CP Thakur on July 10, 2003, BC Khanduri informed us as taking action regarding the proposed bridge by sending a letter on July 29 in the same year. The matter was discussed in the DONER ministry meeting in 2007 and finally it was approved," Jagdish Bhuyan said.The construnction of the bridge was started in 2011 at a cost of Rs 950 crore. As there is no civilian airport in Arunachal Pradesh, the Dhola-Sadiya bridge will help the civilian of the bordering state with China to access better road connecting.